Oh, how I love a romcom that features a main character that you just can’t help but fall in love with! Isadora snatched up my heart within the first few pages - her quirkiness, intelligence and unconventional outlook on life were so endearing and I knew she was going to take us on an incredible adventure! Little did I know that this adventure would be one of heartfelt self discovery on the search for happiness!

Sounds like a tall order to fill, but Walsh absolutely nailed it. Isadora, a scientist through and through sets out disprove that happiness can be achieved in completing 31 simple steps (as established in a trashy grocery store tabloid). During the course of her experiment Isadora makes her way through these steps and ends up getting way more than she bargained for; friendship, inspiration, love and maybe even her own perfect version of happiness…

Book Title: The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley
Author: Courtney Walsh
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pages: 348
Genre: Inspirational - Women's Fiction
Pub Date: June 13, 2023
My Rating: 4.2 Stars

Isadora Bentley is an academic researcher and thinks logically; makes decisions without emotion. Everything is black or white no gray areas. She believes that happiness is something that does not exist especially in her life. She is out to prove an article about happiness is wrong.
As the story unfolds, we learn why Isadora is so introverted, cautious, and insecure.

We watch her develop unlikely friendships with Marty, Darby, Delilah, and aww Cal.
Trust me you will love these characters.
She finds that there are people who actually treated her well.
(This is a bit of s spoiler) Isadora has been hurt and decided it is best to be alone. She feels she is broken and different therefore pushes people away. She has decided she doesn’t like people.

This story touches so many people in many ways. It is an emotional read.
Happy to say I had a smile on my face at the end!

One message I am going to print and post. It is the importance of forgiving.
You do it not for their benefit but for yours. If you don’t, it will constantly eat you.

Want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for granting me the pleasure of reading this early eGalley. Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 13, 2023.

Isadora Bentley is turning 30 and her life is far from perfect. After a hard childhood, lack of friendship and a humiliating break-up, she comes across an article listing 31 keys to happiness. In an effort to disprove the author of the article, she meets people that change her life, experiences highs & lows, and learns some major life lessons. Oh, and she may or may not find love along the way...you'll have to find that out for yourself.

This book is light and fun while also unpacking a lot of Isadora's childhood trauma and how that made her into who she is today and how she can overcome it as well!

I really enjoyed watching her character grow so much along the way! Isadora is one I won't soon forget!

Read this if you love:

🍭Junk food
💖Found family
📝Research
🧘Yoga
🙊Proving people wrong

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for the chance to read and review this book prior to release. This will be available on June 13th.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley was without a doubt a five-star read for me. From the very first page, I was intrigued and invested in Isadora. Her introverted awkwardness was so relatable to me! I thought it was a fun twist on the curmudgeon theme that seems to be popular lately to have the grouchy character be a young woman, plus I loved that she has a STEM job. It's always fun to read about intelligent female characters.

I would say The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley is best classified as a cross between romantic comedy and women's fiction. While there is a good thread of romance and lots of funny moments, this story is ultimately about Isadora discovering how to like herself and be at peace in her life. It's a story of learning how to give and receive friendship in a fulfilling and healthy way. Courtney Walsh wraps some big, important themes in a fun and delightful little package. Highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for this digital ARC!

Isadora Bentley, an introverted researcher at a nearby university, purchases a magazine with an article entitled “Thirty-One Ways to be Happy”. She decides this article is absolutely bologna, and begins her own secret research project – using herself as the test subject – to prove the article wrong.

This is a delightful novel about the impact of positive relationships, forgiveness, happiness, and personal growth. With some memorable and remarkable secondary characters, Isadora’s story isn’t one that will be easily forgotten. The star of the show here is not really the romance (IMO)– it’s more of a secondary plotline – but the personal growth.

I am choosing to rate this 4 stars. While I loved the plot and the characters, Isadora’s internal dialogue was a bit excessive and got on my nerves just a little, resulting in dropping 1 star from my original 5-star rating. With that aside, I would highly recommend picking up this book.

THE HAPPY LIFE OF ISADORA BENTLEY is a sweet and charming read about how to live life in the midst of past trauma. The premise really drew me in, and I love the idea of someone trying to follow magazine advice about how to be happy.

At first I had a hard time connecting with Isadora, and felt like the author was beating us over the head with her quirks and personality. Anything we needed to know was told over and over again. I even wondered if the novel was meant for a younger audience, but it does say adult. The more the author hammers the reader with what's obvious, the less Isadora seems like a real person...

Overall, the various challenges Isadora goes through are entertaining, and the romance angle is handled nicely. Isadora really does go on a journey in terms of her character development, which makes for an uplifting and heartwarming narrative.

I wanted to like this book. The FMC is quirky, and in some ways very sweet. The romance that develops seems fairly natural, and the storyline flows well. I found this book overall kind of slow, and there is zero spice, so if that’s what you’re looking for then this isn’t the book for you.

It reminded me of the books they stocked in my church library. Very innocent type of romances. The portions of the book about happiness and letting things go and healing old wounds was the best part of this book.

I’d like to thank Thomas Nelson publishing and NetGalley for my advanced readers copy.

I dare you to read this book and not smile and be filled with joy!

Isadora is an introverted research assistant who thinks she’s better off alone than by forming relationships because people have always disappointed her.

On her 30th birthday she reads an article with 31 ways to find happiness and sets out to try everything on the list- mainly to disprove it. Along the way she finds her tribe and realizes relationships are worth it- she just hasn’t met the right people yet.

✨⭐️✨

I found this book to be so heartwarming. Isadora grows so much throughout the story. Every one of the side characters (besides one) is perfection!

The story, characters, and relationships are endearing and kind of remind me of A Man Called Ove. I loved every second of this book! It publishes June 13th but you should pre-order it now!

This is my favorite Courtney Walsh book that I’ve read so far!

This novel was a delightful, relatable story of finding happiness in your own way.

Isadora is such a fun, quirky protagonist. I enjoyed her unique personality and the ways she sees the world in ways different than I expected. She felt so real -- experiencing things like anxiety, fear, loneliness and surprise. I haven't read many characters like her and I finished hoping to encounter more like her in future. Her life hasn't gone according to plan. She has been hurt, betrayed, let down, and put down. Those hard experiences have shaped her life. In many ways, they have hindered her ability in the past to change, move on, and find happiness. Then on her 30th birthday, things start to change. It is an impulsive decisions, but it becomes life changing.

Isadora's happiness experiment is clever and so fun to read about. I loved hearing how she completed each step of the "31 steps to be happy" magazine article. And I loved that some of them she didn't like and even hated (like yoga, although I think she liked that more than she expected). It's such a simple idea to complete all these steps. But they really change her. I loved her journey from awkward smiles to life changing friendships. Flying kites and eating gourmet chocolate (that sounds divine!), self care and deep breathing, planning a trip (actual travel optional) and spending time with good people, exercising and decluttering. Each of these steps adds to Isadora's story and I love how they bring her dear friendships along the way.

At the heart of this story are beautiful relationships. In simple ways, Isadora makes friends that truly change her. I loved Darby and her strength and wisdom. She inserts herself into Isadora's life and refuses to go away providing everything from delicious meals to fashion advice, an exercise buddy to mom wisdom. Her loyalty is so beautiful! I loved what Isadora and Delilah mean to each other and how they accept each other. They are so similar and their shared interests and personalities make them so endearing. I love that their relationship is tied to an answer to prayer and that Isadora is able to help give Delilah the support she lacked as a child. Marty is one of my favorite characters in this story. At first, he is lonely and feels unsure about his future as a widow. I loved how he befriends Isadora whether she wants it or not. His patience, wisdom, and kindness were so lovely. We all need an old man friend like Marty. And of course, Cal is at the heart of this story as well. He treats Isadora with respect and kindness. His love and genuine interest in her projects and her life were so beautiful. Theirs is a relationship that I aspire to emulate. I love how these characters become Isadora's people. The friends that center her world.

Isadora's journey is not perfect or simple. She gets anxious. She pulls away from her friends. She has to overcome difficult betrayals and let downs. She has to have faith and choose happiness. I love the journey and the beautiful lessons she discovers along the way.

A cozy, quirky story about the power of happiness, friendship and everyday love.

When I saw Courtney Walsh was coming out with a new book, I just knew I had to read it! Once again a super cute book. It will definitely be one that I have to buy as soon as it comes out!

I received this book as an ARC on Netgalley

I am a Courtney Walsh fan, and this book is one reason why. The quirkiness yet relatable struggles of the characters really shine through. The way she writes the book almost makes you feel like you are watching everything happen on a movie screen.
Isadora takes you on a journey from being reclusive, to proving an article wrong, to finding her own happiness. And it’s a beautiful thing.

Thank you netgalley for an arc copy!

-Got a free copy from NetGalley-

This book is a really nice read for me. Isadora is a really brave character for being able to venture out of her comfort zone for her experiments. Bringing herself to do stuff she usually tries to avoid doing. Also really loving her lunch crew, all from different walks of life gathering together and becoming friends(secretly hoping I can find mine too). Loving them for sticking by her even when she thought she was weird and even after she tries to push everyone away, they stayed. :') Personally, I really resonate with Isadora. Her being unable to trust others after getting hurt multiple times in the past, and her quest to find happiness.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the writing style of the author. Thanks to this book, it's making me want to go out of my comfort zone and try something new in my own little quest for happiness. Now I'm looking to read more works from this author!

📖Review: The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh 

A delightful exploration of happiness with a quirky and reclusive heroine. 

Isadora Bentley is turning 30 and she has not accomplished any of what she has wanted to. She was supposed to prove her childhood wrong — those bullies and her mom who always said she didn’t measure up — but she is a low level researcher who has isolated herself from the world around her. Until on her birthday, in a sugar-coated haze, Isadora decides to prove an article entitled 31 Steps to Happiness wrong. As Isadora begins trying the steps, she finds herself immersed into the world she was trying so hard to avoid and confronting some of her long held beliefs. 

Isadora is a fabulous character. From page one, I found her inner dialogue relatable and funny. The secondary characters were also lovable and their interactions were a perfect mix wise words and witty banter. 

I highly recommend this book if you like:
🏡Found Family
❤️Romance
🪞Self-Discovery
💁🏼‍♀️Lovable characters
📚Books like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, or The Last Chance Library. 

This heartwarming novel is available on June 13th — just in time for summer. I received this complimentary copy of the book from Thomas Nelson and NetGalley, but opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was my first book to read by Courtney Walsh and I really enjoyed it! I was interested in reading this book because of the fun plot line and the super cute cover. I enjoy books where the MC has to complete a list of things and do things out of their comfort zone so I had a lot of fun reading Isadora’s journey to completing the list! This book was more than a fun plot line though. It went deep. This list took Isadora on a journey that changed her life. I enjoyed reading that journey and watching her character growth throughout the book.

While it took me a little while to get fully into this story, Isadora’s personality kept me interested. I really liked that this book was written in first person because I felt like I got the know Isadora really well. She was a relatable, socially awkward, introverted MC who had a lot of growing to do. As the story unfolds, we learn why Isadora is so introverted, cautious, and insecure. While there were moments I got frustrated at her for reacting to things the way she did, mostly towards the end, I also understood why she reacted that way and my heart broke for her. I got emotional more than once. I really enjoyed watching her character growth. Her journey felt real and raw. I couldn’t help but like her.
I do wish there would have been a little more faith content or at least a little more resolution to Isadora’s thoughts on the subject. That being said, I wouldn’t consider this book Christian fiction since the faith content almost nonexistent. I did appreciate how clean the book was though— no language and the romance was simply a few semi-detailed kisses.

I love that friendship is a big part of this story! I loved watching as Isadora began making friends. Marty, Darby, Delilah, Cal— I loved them all so much! It was so heartwarming to watch her develop unlikely friendships with people who actually treated her well. Again, I got emotional a time or two which I wasn’t expecting.

The romance between her and Cal was really sweet. I really liked Cal from the beginning. While he felt a bit perfect at times, I could overlook that simply because I really liked his character.☺️

Overall, this book made me laugh, tear up, and smile a whole lot. It was funny but also had depth. It dealt with themes like friendship, heartbreak, grief, and insecurity. I loved the friendships in this book and the romance was really sweet. If you enjoy women’s fiction that includes unlikely friendships, a sweet romance, and a mission the MC has to accomplish, I think you will really like this one!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed this upcoming release by Courtney Walsh! It was the lighthearted yet touching read I was looking for.
Introverted researcher, Isadora Bentley finds it hard to make friends and is more comfortable talking to her cactus than another human being. She stumbles upon an article about the 31 Ways to Be Happy and decides to try to scientifically test and disprove it.
It has lots of snark and sarcasm which I love but also had some very heartwarming, tender moments as well which made it a very satisfying read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the chance to read it in exchange for my honest opinion!

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh was really good! Isadora is an awkward introvert, with many quirks. I loved her and all of the other characters in this book. They're all well developed with lots of growth throughout. The plot was fun and entertaining, and will have you laughing out loud. Loved the overall message of this novel!

I am nothing like Isadora Bentley and yet at the same time... I'm exactly like her.

One of the things I love about fiction is how you can find something that helps you even when the characters are in situations that are very different from your own. Somehow Courtney Walsh takes some very deep topics and treats them well while not being depressing. I laughed A LOT during the reading of this story. It was touching.

So many times I found myself nodding along to Isadora's statements and thoughts. I highlighted so many passages. Isadora's life is what happens when you have been wounded repeatedly by everyone and everything. It's a natural response.

I loved how Marty and Darby and Delilah wouldn't give up on her. Wounded people need friends like that. And I loved what Darby said about Isadora just not finding the right people yet. The hard thing is, after years and years of wrong people, it's hard to keep trying to find the right ones. But this book gave me a little boost that maybe I can find my right people.

There were times when the style of writing just wasn't quite working for me and I felt that sometimes Isadora's pity parties went on a bit long. There was a lot of rehashing the same things over and over that kind of got old. But at the same time, I understand because I do it myself. Still, reading it sometimes started to drag and these are the reasons I gave it four stars.

I think this is an excellent story and could be very helpful to many people. I know it was for me.



Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and a favorable review was not required.

I adooooored this book!!! I felt my heart literally squeeze with emotions for Isadora and that is the rarest of feelings for me, when reading a book.
What a great story and an amazing writing style.
Thank you Courtney Walsh for such a great journey with your imagination!

So, let’s not skip the basics.
The happy life of Isadora Bentley starts on the day of Isadora’s thirtieth birthday. She is a talented researcher, super intelligent, extremely introvert and wired to be unhappy. Or maybe not?
She finds this article on 31 steps ways to be happy and she decides to start her own personal project. What kind of serious psychologist would boil down a universal recipe for happiness and publish it as an article in a magazine? Her research will certainly prove Dr. Monroe wrong.
And so, Isadora starts with her first step: it’s out of character for her, but, hey, what is this unpredictability going on, now?
The die is cast, and events start flowing.

The book started off quite slowly and melancholy and grey and ... you name it. Not really engaging. I found myself checking the remaining pages and started to ponder how much longer should I read before giving up. But I held a bit longer and, wow, was it worth it!
With hindsight, the beginning really makes sense, it sucks you into Isadora’s lifestyle and it prepares the setting for better understanding what is going on with her project.

After the slow beginning, it picked up very quickly, and what astonished me was that it didn’t need anything super dramatic to remain captivating. This is something I find rarely, an author that can write irresistible pages without over-using big drama events or out of characters reactions. Courtney Walsh created superb characters, who interact delicately yet charmingly. Sometimes the side characters are fillers for the main characters stories, but in The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley all characters had a well-defined personality. I enjoyed reading them all, I did not feel like they were taking away pages from Isadora and the handsome professor. Even if the side characters were not really in my mainstream preferences, they were so well depicted: the way Isadora interacted with them made me discover new sides of Isadora that I enjoyed reading.

Most of all I loved the perspective, the metaphors, the general take on life. When I find a nice metaphor or a concept expressed in a witfully effective way, I highlight it to be able to savour it later. I usually highlight 5-6 paragraphs tops in a good book. Here I lost count, I felt like I was taking notes on every page! I loved the funny comparisons, the dry introvert sentences, the revelations, the awkwardness, the scientific approach to everything.
“My parents were submarine Christians – they only came up for air twice a year, on Easter and Christmas”
« I reset my face to factory settings and sigh »
« the hygienically impaired sales clerk »
« I’m totally counting that as a full-on workout, though, because the calories I burned worrying about it warrant it »
I am definitely going to re-use so many of them !

Maybe, the only thing that felt a bit off is the fact that there was no steam. I did get the feeling that it was a choice, and I like chaste books as much as steamy ones, and I do get that some authors prefer to keep stories less explicit. But I did not even get a hint if there had been any « follow up », to the point that I felt it was an important part of Isadora’s evolution with her love interest to know what was going on in that department. Even without writing explicitly about any scenes : she is thirty years old, after all, and you do wonder if that’s all they did and, if not, how it affected the relationship. It felt a bit like a teenagers kind of love, at times, in contrast with the depth of their great and profound personalities.

This book is one of those few ones that I cannot put down and read avidly and, 10 pages to the end, I start reading super slowly because I am not ready to leave the characters. By the end of book I was almost angry with Isadora, for leaving me : I felt like I was invited to her lunch bench and now she is cutting me out. That’s how good this story has been for me. Such a great gift of good meaningful emotions : what an unfrogettable journey.
Thank you Courtney Walsh.

4 🌟
I enjoyed reading this book especially the aspect of the character development that intertwines with the plot. Isadora is a quirky and socially awkward researcher and her other half, Cal is opposite of her but they complement each other so well. I love the founding family aspect to this book and the plot being so deep and thoughtful is what I enjoyed as well.